Attorney-Adviser (General)

Clarification from the agency

See "Who May Apply" in the "Qualification" section for more information on who is eligible to apply for this position.

• Provide legal guidance, assistance, support, and review of all clinical adverse actions for compliance with legal due process and adherence to regulatory provisions from inception to completion.
• Advise on controversial and complex medico-legal and bioethical topics such as death and dying decisions and issues, living wills, etc.
• Advise on regulatory requirements and procedures involving animal and human subjects’ research.
• Review informed consent provisions of protocols for legal adequacy and completeness.
• Interpret and apply law and policy for the release or denial of requested information.
• Assist with responses to a variety of requests for official information, including those involving criminal or civil litigation processes.
• Serve as the primary legal advisor on formal legal relationships with Government and civilian medical institutions.
• Independently oversee all phases of medical negligence and any other tort litigation, to include investigation, claims adjudication, and federal court litigation.
• Renders opinions on Government ethics topics, such as: use of government resources, financial disclosure program, private organizations, fundraising activities, travel gift issues, post-government employment, Hatch Act, off-duty employment, etc.

Conditions of employment

• Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
• This position requires the incumbent be able to obtain and maintain a determination of eligibility for a Secret security clearance or access for the duration of employment. A background investigation and credit check are required.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

Applicants will be evaluated to determine if they meet the minimum qualification requirements and on the extent to which their application shows possession of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the position:

• Skill in identifying legal issues and conducting relevant legal research.
• Skill in administrative hearings practice.
• Skill in oral and written advocacy.
• Ability to effectively, professionally, and ethically manage a heavy caseload of clients with complex legal needs.

NOTICE OF VETERAN'S PREFERENCE: There is no formal rating system for applying veteran's preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Defense Health Agency considers veteran's preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veteran's preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documents (e.g., DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at http://www.opm.gov/).

TIME-IN-GRADE REQUIREMENTS:
If currently employed as an attorney by the Federal Government must have completed 52 weeks at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade as the position being filled. Time-in grade may be waived for current federal employees at management's discretion.
The following minimum qualification requirements must be met before applicants are eligible for further consideration:

Education: An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LLB or JD).

Bar Membership: Applicant must currently be a member in good standing of the Bar of a state, territory or commonwealth of the United States (e.g., American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), or the District of Columbia.

• Document should be dated within three months of the date the application is submitted.
• If the document has been ordered, but not arrived, you may provide a screenshot of your certificate (clearly showing a time/date within the last 90 days) which validates your active status.

Experience Required for the GS-14:Applicant must have three (3) or more years of professional legal experience, acquired after being admitted to the Bar, commensurate with the duties and responsibilities of the position.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application package (resume and supporting documents) will be evaluated for basic qualification requirements and for the skills needed to perform the duties of the position, as described in this vacancy announcement and identified by the Selecting Official.

Veteran's preference requirements do not apply to attorney positions in the excepted service, however the principles of veteran's preference will be followed to the extent which is administratively feasible.

Time in Grade: The Qualifying Authorities (QA's) will make a determination as to the applicability of time in grade based on the requirements of the position. If you are currently employed as an attorney by the Federal government you must have completed one year at the next lower grade level within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement, or previously served at the same or higher grade level as the position being filled.

The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist for Internal/MP Announcements (DoD)

As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.

1. Your resume:

• Your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration.
• For each relevant work experience, make sure you include the employer's name, job title, start and end dates (include month and year), for qualifications purposes, the number of hours worked per week, and a brief description that show you can perform the tasks at the required level listed in the job announcement. If your resume does not contain this information, your application may be marked as incomplete, and you may not receive consideration for this position.
• Use plain language. Avoid using acronyms and terms that are not easily understood. The hiring agency will not make assumptions about what's in your resume.
• If your resume includes a photograph or other inappropriate material or content, it will not be used to make eligibility and qualification determinations, and you may not be considered for this vacancy.
• For additional information, to include formatting tips, see: What to include in your resume.

2. Other supporting documents:

• Official Law School Transcripts: Photo copies are acceptable when applying but certified documents must be furnished before entering duty. Official statement of relative standing in class is required.
• Bar Membership Certificate: The official certificate must show that you are a member in good standing of the bar, dated within three months of the date of the application was submitted. The certificate is required to be submitted by all applicants to include attorneys currently appointed to positions under the qualifying authority of The Judge Advocate General (including active duty Army Judge Advocates).
• Time-in-grade documentation: If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old).
• This position requires a job-related license or certification. You MUST submit a copy of your license or certification with your application package or you will be rated ineligible. See: Transcripts and Licenses
• Writing sample of 3-5 pages, including the analysis of a legal issue (highly desired).
• Self-certified statement of fitness to practice law (highly desired). The statement should state under oath that your fitness to practice law has never been challenged in any jurisdiction. The statement must be dated within 90 days of the closing date of the announcement. If fitness has been challenged, you must provide a sworn statement in detail as to the circumstances.
• Cover Letter, optional
• Most recent Performance Appraisal, if applicable

NOTE: Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove another person's personal information before you submit your application. You may be asked to provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected to confirm your eligibility.

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